


Happy Birthday, Q!

by Torra



Category: due South
Genre: Episode: s03e22 Call of the Wild, Future Fic, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-29
Updated: 2009-11-29
Packaged: 2017-10-03 23:17:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Torra/pseuds/Torra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What <i>is</i> Dief up to? (Written as a birthday gift for Q)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Birthday, Q!

"What is that mutt doing now?"

Fraser looked up from the carving in his hands and across the open area around their cabin to the tree line where Dief was clearly up to something. Tilting his head to the side, Fraser considered his wolf companion's actions. "I can't be certain but it would appear that he is pruning."

Ray blinked once at Fraser, then a second time before looking back to Dief, considering, and shaking his head, "Okay, Frase, _why_ is your wolf pruning that bush?"

"I really couldn't say, Ray. Perhaps he is gathering shrubberies for some reason."

"Gathering..." Ray trailed off before barking out a laugh and bumping his partner's shoulder with his own, "Ya freak, I knew you liked that movie more than you were letting on." He shook his head again, "A shrubbery."

They sat together on the bench on their porch, watching their furry friend for a few minutes before both gave up understanding the wolf as a lost cause, and returned to the tasks in their hands; Fraser with his knives and a lovely chunk of last year's Douglas Fur, and Ray with a six-month-old copy of New Boxer. Dief, meanwhile, gave neither man any attention, and continued on his task of carefully choosing branches off the best bushes and low-lying trees and snapping them off with his sharp teeth. Once he had a few good sprigs, he'd gather them up in his mouth, trot to a secret spot near the back door beside a gathering of rocks Ray had collected over the years, and quietly dig away some of the snow, revealing yet more branches and even some early spring shoots. He added his newest prizes, nosing though all his collection to make sure none had wilted too badly and to make sure no one had stolen any, before turning around and burying the greenery beneath the white powder again. Looking around him, he chose a new direction, and began his job all over again.  


* * *

  
It was three days before Dief had his chance to enact his plan. This was the first time his Humans had left on their own, leaving him to guard the den by himself. He waited, listening until he felt their jeep had rumbled far enough away he was sure they would not turn around and come back to the cabin for something they'd forgotten. Finally he stood up and shook himself hard, stretched fully and gracefully, and then took a short detour to the kitchen to ferret out some of those nice cookies he was sure Ray had hidden the last of a few weeks previously. Once he was satisfied he'd found all that were left, Dief brushed the excess crumbs off his muzzle by rubbing against the blanket on the couch, before finally trotting over to the door in the back, lifting himself up onto his back paws so he could use his front paws to pull the lever down.

This new style handle had been a gift from Ray. The blond man had made a grand production of showing it to Dief before it was installed. Dief was fairly sure Ray had given it to him as a thank you for letting him join the pack, though Ray had never actually said so. Fraser had always used those annoying round knobs on his doors before, which Dief disliked trying to open, far too slippery and tasting of chemicals in the metal, but this new flat handle was much easier for him to get his paws on top of, and he could easily use his own weight to pull it down, unlatching and opening the door with minimal effort on his part. And as long as Dief was good about pulling the door shut behind him (by way of a small rope tied onto the handle on the other side), neither human seemed to mind Dief coming and going on his own judgment. In truth, the humans seemed quite pleased with the situation, as it meant they no longer hand to get out of their warm bed in the morning to let him out, and again to let him back in. Ray especially had disliked that job, after they had become settled into the cold of their home territory. Dief liked Ray, he was a very good addition to the pack, which was something he often took great pains to point out to Fraser, who had taken far to long in going about asking Ray to join.

This time, however, Dief left the doorway open and walked the few paces over to his hidden spot, and, looking around to make sure no one was watching in order to steal his prizes, he dug them up again and began the job of caring the best bits back into the house. It took a few trips, but by the time he felt he was done he had a good sized pile of leaves and shoots and branches and even a few tiny flowers mixed in, the first of the season. He returned to the door one last time to make sure it was closed (Fraser was very fond of reminding him he had fur of his own, but that in no way meant Diefenbaker did not like a warm den just as well as his other companions) before finally beginning the hardest part of his task.

He started by finding the small, well cushioned footstool Ray liked to rest his feet on at night (which was just large enough for Dief to curl upon the rest of the time). Pressing his haunch against it, he began the slow process of moving it across the room. It took far longer then he thought it would and he wasn't sure how much longer his human companions would be gone, so he wasted no time to rest before starting the next, and even harder step. Once the stool was pushed up against the large glass tank on the table by the wood stove, he climbed upon it, and then used his front paws and nose to pry the top off the tank. It took a long time and a great deal of wolfish grumbling before he finally managed to pry the lid up and push it aside, leaving half of the tank uncovered. The tank was covered in his scent by the time he was done, but its occupant never seemed to mind that. Jumping up onto the slim edge of the table not occupied by the tank, Dief leaned in and gave a soft wuffle to get the attention of his friend inside.

He got no response. Sighing, Dief got down and crossed the room to his pile of goodies, gathering up a mouthful before he crossed the room again, got up onto the table and dropped them dramatically onto the tank's occupant. That finally got Turtle's attention.

Slowly Turtle stuck his head out and blinked up at Dief with languid curiosity mixed with mild annoyance at his nap being interrupted. Dief wuffled and nosed the greenery towards him before getting down again and repeating the process four more times. When he was finished, Turtle's tank was filled with more greenery then he usually got inside of a month.

Turtle reached out and pulled in a mouthful of something sharp, dark green and spicy, and mulled over it quietly before giving Dief a series of soft, happy head bobs. Dief chuffed happily and leaned in again to lick a broad stripe across Turtle's shell.

"Birthday." Dief told him.

Turtle gave another series of nods before reaching out for one of the little pink flowers to chew on. "Happy," Turtle replied.

Pleased that his gift was well received, Dief gave Turtle another quick lick and hopped off the table, not bothering to cover the tank again (not because he couldn't, simply because he didn't feel that job needed his attention at this time) and curled up on the stool beneath the tank, enjoying the heat of the cabin, and falling into a pleased sleep, content to listen to the oh-so-quiet sounds of his hard-backed pack mate chewing his gift in his own thankful way.


End file.
